Friction transmission.



L. W DAVIS. FRICTION TRANSMISSION. APPLICATION FILED OCT. 11. l9l6- 1,241,609. Patented 001;. 2,1917.

PATENT O F E Y Lnwrs w nAvIs, oF -sEA'r'.rLE,WASHINGTON.

,. 3T :mzzwhamam ym em a Bejit known that I, Lnwrs W. DAVIS, a

V citizen ofitheUnited States, and a resident f ofiiseattle,intheicountylof King and State ashington, have invented certain new amisslomgoffwhich the following is a full,

true,-and exact'specification. I v 1 7 'improvements n ion drivetransm sslon particularly forv M invention relates t a oniobile use and has forhits principal obto generally improveupon and simplify the lfriction transmissionas set forth in my previous ramm n 1,107,705, filed August Some of the more important featuresof iiny improved device are, a self contained combination supporting? frame for the v frictionineclianism and jack shaft means for A zofslidably mounting the combination frame wit lii'respect to the reazraxleofan automo- YgE-bil'e; ineansfor swinginglthe friction drive flwithresp'ectvto thev supporting frame and panyi gdrawing and pointed out in the ap:

35 pended'claims: a a y In the drawingsFigure 1 is a plan View aof my device;shown, detached from a chassis. with parts broken aWayQj Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of same; with] parts" broken away.

Referringmore particularly to the drawf tings, numeral 1 indicates circular supports in'gframe, preferably of channel; shape and welded into a continuous ring.v stiffening yokes 2 are placed on either side of sup- ";i,4 5 jwrtiiag'ag frame 1 and Cross it diametrically.

, The yokes, be held-above or below the a manual planof the frame 1 and are preferably-oii botnsides thereof. A central'bearingl3 is supportedfromfhe yoke 2 arms err- Frame 1 has diametrically opposite bearingsSWhichline WithIcentral bearings and support .jackshafts 6 which also take bear- 1 Friction drive haft bearings 7" are mounted on the outer, v,

j .5pripheryof frame 1 andglie at right angles I 7 k 7 7 i 141 and 13 and 15 are brought into contact.

' ing, n t central bearing, 3.

to'and a horizontal plane with jack shafts Fme'rron TRANSMISSION.

eful Improvements. in Friction Trans} Bell crank levers 16, 17, 18 and 19 are pivotally connected to pins 16", 179,,18Fand; 19? respectively. ,One end each of levers 16 give a forward 'or' backward motion to the PatentedOct. 2, 1917. i

6. n The bearings 7 are slidable horizontally by means of lugs S which slidably engagehousings 9 which in turn are secured to, frame 1. Bearings '7 support a friction 80, drive shaft 10 which is connected to the main drive shaft from the engine by means of a flexible coupling which includesa leather connection 11. The frame 1 is slotted in line with bearings 7 so that 'the, shaft 10 has radial movements about bear: ing-B which fits the said shaft looselyin a f horizontal direction, Cone drivefrictions 12 and 13 are feather keyed to shaft 10 and diskdriyen frictions 11 and are similarlyqo Ikeyed tojack shafts Gand are arranged to contact with frictions 12 and 13. Frictions shift rings 12,' 13?, l i and 15 respectively. 7

and 17 are connected to oppositeshift rings M while the other endsare connected to one a of shift rings 12 and13 respectively. Levers 18 and 19 are similarly connected to shift rings 15 and 12 and 13 The frictions and bell crank levers just described, are operated byashift rod 20 which may be connected to 1 any one of the. bell cranks directly or through .the medium of "otherlevers' and" links. The shift rod 20 leads to a 'conven- .ient point for thedriver to operate by means of any convenient form of hand lever which ishere not shown. This operation of the frictions varies the speed ratio 1 as clearly set forth in my previous patent referred to above, The driving and driven frictions are brought into contact in pairs either to car by swinging the bearings 7 with respect tofthe' frame 1. This.,swinging is accOmplished by means o'fa shaft 21 which is revolubly supported in bearings, 22 which are in turn mounted upon frame 1. Oppositely disposed eccentricsj23 are secured vto shaft 21 adjacent bearings, 22 and are connected to bearings 7 bymeans of links 24. The eccentrics .23 are so arranged that when, shaft 21 is revolved the fraction of a revolution in one direction it willthro'w the bearings 7 clock-wise until frictions -12, and'15 and;13 and 1&1 are broughtinto contact in pairs. Byturning' the shaft21 in the op-f posite direction the bearings 7 are moved counter clock Wise until the frictions 12 and The moving of the shaft 21 is accomplished from the drivers seat preferably by .foot levers. Frame 1 is slidably supported upon truss rods 24 which rest in bearings 25 which 1n turn are secured to the said frame. The. rear end of truss rods 24: are secured n.-

bearings 26 which are supported by the rear axle 27 of the automobile. The forward ends of truss rods 24 are carried well forward under the chassis and are brought t0- gether in acommon point of support. It will be thus seen that either the entire friction'drive mechanism or the-rear axle may be moved forward or backward along the truss rods 24.. The rear axle 27 is driven from the jack shafts 6 by means of'chain drives 28 and sprockets 29 and 30. The

speed of the machine may be changed by pandingbrakes 31 are secured to the said rear axle and to sprockets 30 and are operable 1n the usual manner from the drlvers seat. 'In operating my device it is only.

necessary to draw the friction into contact by means of the shaft 21 'and to shift the frictions to any desired speed ,point by means of the rod 20. The movable bearings 7 and the flexible drive shaft enable the friction to be brought into either the forward or backward motion without the use of eccentrics as in my previous application.

While I have shown a particular form of embodiment of my invention, I am aware that many minor changes therein will readily suggest themselves to others skilledin the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the'invention, and I therefore desire to avoid being limited to the exact form shown and described, except as pointed out in the'appended claims; Having described my invention, what '1 claim as new and desire to protect by Letters 'Patent, is

l. Ina variable speed transmission device,

theicombination of a supporting frame, a driving shaft .mounted thereon and horizontally slidablethereon, a pair of similar jack shafts arranged at right angles to the said driving shaft and having solid bearings upon thesaid frame,a pair of friction driv- 4 disk thereby driving the jack In a variable speed ing cones feather keyed to the driving shaft, a pair of driven friction disks similarly keyed one to each of the jack shafts, means for simultaneously moving the said cones I and disks along their respective shaft, means for horizontally rotating the said driving shaftwith respect to the frame and said jack shafts, whereby either friction cone is broughtinto contact with either friction shafts either forward or backward. I

transmlssion device,

the combination of a supporting frame, a driving shaft mounted thereon and horizontally slidable therewith, a pair of similar jack shafts arranged at right angles to the said driving shaft and having solid bearings upon the said frame, a pair of friction driving cones feather keyed to the driving shaft, a pair of driven friction disks similarly keyed one to each of the jack shafts, means for simultaneously moving the said cones and disks along their respective shaft,

means "for horizontally rotating the said driving shaft with respect to the frameand said jack shafts, whereby either friction cone is brought into contact with either friction disk, thereby driving the jack shafts either forward or backward; said rotating means including oppositely disposed eccentrics mounted upon aoommon and independw ent shaft, driving shaft bearings slidablymounted upon said supporting frame and connecting means between the said bearings and the said eccentrics, whereby the movement of the eccentrics moves the said bearings and drivingshaft. g

"3. The combination with a rear axle and chassis and traction wheels of an automobile, of Lruss rods one end of each of which is slida'blysuspended from said rear axle, a circular supporting frame slidably mounted upon said truss rods, a driving shaft mounted on said supporting frame and horiing shaft and having solid bearings'upon the said frame, a pair of similar friction 'zontallv slidable therewith, a vpair of jack shafts arranged at right angles to said driv driving cones feather keyed to thedriving shaft, a pair of friction disks similarly keyed one to each of the jack shafts, means for simultaneously moving the cones and transmission means connecting the said jack shafts with the said traction wheels, wherea by the traction wheels are driven either forward or backward.

4. The combination with a rearaxle and r chassisand traction wheels of an automobile, of truss rods one end of each of which i is slidably suspended from said rearaxle,

a circular supporting frame slidably mount' ed upon said truss rods, a driving shaft mounted on said supporting frame and horizontally. slidable therewith, a pair of jack shafts arranged at right angles to said driving shaft and having solid bearings upon r the said frame, a pair of similar friction driving cones feather keyed to the driving shaft, a pair of friction disks similarly keye'dione to each of the jack shafts, means for simultaneously moving the cones and ,disks along the shafts and With respect to each other, means for moving the said driviing shaft horizontally about the center of the said supporting frame, said last mentioned means including oppositely dlsposed eccentrics mounted upon a common and independent shaft and drive shaft bearings horizontally and slidably mounted upon the 10 centrics, whereby when the said independent shaft is revolved in either direction certain pairs of friction cones and disks are brought 15 into contact.

LEWIS W. DAVIS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. 0. 

